In Memoriam: Dr. Safet Zejnilovic

We mentioned Dr. Safet Zejnilovic in earlier posts. Dr. Zejnilovic was a well-known doctor in Visegrad, who helped and treated people without regard to any diffrences. According to Mustafa Suceska(“Krvava Cuprija na Drini“) and Mehmed Bradaric(“Grihota je ubijanje tvica“) Dr. Zejnilovic was taken to Pale, the newly-formed capital city of Republika Srpka, accused of murdering Serb children, than shot and killed by Bosnian Serb soldiers. Here is VG-32 testimony of Dr.Zejnilovic’s fate, given in the Lukic Sredoje and Milan case:

Q.Do you know what happened to Dr.Zejnilovic?

A.Yes. I know very well what happened to him.

Q.Can you please describe that to the Chamber?

A.Dr. Safet Zejnilovic was in the town of Visegrad before the war, and before the Uzice Corps came to town he went to Gorazde together with the head of the health centre across Cajnice and Pljevlja. He went on to his native birthplace Bijelo Polje and doctor — the other doctor, the head of the centre, he went on to Tara, Dr. Uljarevic. He stayed there until the Uzice Corps came to town. At the initiative of the then war commander of the wartime hospital they managed to persuade his wife, also a doctor, medical doctor, and they even provided them with a driver to go and collect Dr. Safet and provide him with all the guarantees for his safety but that his services were needed in the town.They did so, managed to persuade him to come back to town. As he returned home an hour or two later, a group of armed individuals came and took him away. She told him that they manhandled him at the time, and unfortunately I must say that the doctor’s body was identified at the Visoko cemetery. His remains were recovered.

Q. What happened to his house?

A.Some two days after he had been taken away his house was set on fire.

Q.How long had he returned to Visegrad before he was taken away by the men who ultimately killed him?

A. According to the story of his wife, some three or four hours later. The same evening practically of his arrival.